Saturday, June 28, 2014

The Witch of Belladonna Bay by Suzanne Palmieri

Publish Date May 13, 2014 by St. Martin’s Griffin

Bronwyn "BitsyWyn" Whalen hasn’t set eyes on the
red dirt of Magnolia Creek, Alabama, for fourteen years—not since her mama
died. But with her brother, Patrick, imprisoned for the murder of her childhood
best friend, and her eccentric father, Jackson, at his wits’ end while her
eleven-year-old niece, Byrd, runs wild, Bronwyn finds herself once again
surrounded by ancient magnolia trees and the troubled family she left behind.
She becomes immersed in a whirlwind of mystery and magic as she tries to figure
out what really happened that fateful night her friend died.And as her
bond with Byrd deepens, Bronwyn must face the demons of her past in order to
unravel her family’s uncertain future.

My Thoughts:

This is not a romance book, there is romance in the book but
I would not call this romance. This is a
story of magic and mystery. The mystery
of who killed Charlotte is the main plot.
There were a lot of twists and until almost the very end I did not have
any idea who the killer was. I had many
ideas, went through most of the characters, but never came up with who really
did it until the very end.

I loved the characters and the special magic they all seemed
to have. Byrd was of course my
favorite. Such a precocious child, who
was so much older than her years. She
seemed to know everyone and what everyone was doing or, many times, going to
do. I found myself wanting to pull her
close and keep her safe. She needed a
mother, since her died, to keep her out of the danger that seemed to be calling
for her at every turn of the page.
When Bronwyn returned to her home and to Byrd I was sure that this was
the roll that Bronwyn would step into.

There was a lot happening in this novel, both with the
characters and the plot. This is a
story that I will recommend. Suzanne
Palmieri is an author that I will be on the lookout for more from.

Praise for the
Book:

"Suzanne Palmieri has crafted a riveting tale that will
keep you up late at night guessing what will happen next. It is a story that
will intrigue both male and female readers. Guys, don't let this one slip past
you."—Jason Mott, New York Times bestselling author of The
Returned

"Ms. Palmieri's authentic dialogue, and ability to paint a family in
crisis, is both charming and layered. If you're a lover of Southern fiction,
magic in its many forms, and the kind of storytelling that keeps you turning
the pages, you've come to the right place, y'all."—Lesley Kagen, New
York Times bestselling author of Whistling in the Dark

"Murder, mystery and magic meld in a novel of absolute enchantment.
About the lies we tell, the love we struggle for, and the way we find our way
back to our rightful place in the world, Palmieri's book is a
stunner."—Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures
of You and Is This Tomorrow

"Magic weaves its way through this beguiling southern gothic, swirling
from the moss-laden trees around the Big House through the misty and menacing
Belladonna Bay, and settling into the hearts of Bronwyn and her niece, Byrd,
whose Strange Ways most people just don’t understand. Reminiscent of Sarah
Addison Allen’s Garden Spells, this bewitching tale of ghostly mystery,
love and family ties will enchant you from the very first page and linger in
the air around you long after the last."— Wendy Webb, bestselling author
of The Fate of Mercy Alban

Suzanne Palmieri Hayes is the author of The Witch of
Little Italy and the forthcoming The Witch of Belladonna Bay
(May, 2014). She is also the co-author of I’ll Be Seeing You under
the name Suzanne Hayes. She lives by the ocean with her husband and three
darling witches. She is currently hard at work on her next novel.

Thanks for stopping by A Novel Life! I am a mom to five and homeschool mom to three! I love reading, crocheting and sewing. I started blogging a few years ago writing book reviews. I'm looking to change my blog up a bit and write more about mom life! Hope you can stop by again!